Electric conductor



I 2 Sheets-Shet 1. SAVI'LLE & J. WINSPEA-R.

(No Model.)

ELECTRIC GONDUGTOR.

Patented Dec. 10, 1889.

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2 ans (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. J. SAVILLE & J. H. WINSPEAR.

' ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR.

No. 417,095. Patented 1190.10, 1889'.

WITNESSES lli/l/E/VTOR N. PETERS. Phuwlnhn u har. Washinghm. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. SAVIliLl AND JAMES H. \VINSPEAR, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,095, dated December10, 1889.

Application filed March 11, 1889.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN J SAVILLE and JAMES H. WINsPEAR, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and Stateof Nebraska, have jointly invented a new and useful improvement inconductors for conveying electric currents from a dynamo to street orrailway cars for motor purposes, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to a system of appliances by which electric forceis taken from an underground insulated conductor, entirely covered andembedded in insulating material, from points at various distances apart,and conveyed to an electric motor upon a street or railway car. Saidappliances and conductors may be placed and operated wholly or in partabove orbelow ground. We attain these objects by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is alongitudinal section of our device attached to the trucks of a motor-carand in position for operation. Fig. 2 is a plan view of thecarrier-frame and carrierbar in place upon car-trucks. Fig. is atransverse sectional view of our device on line 1 2, in position and inproper relation. Figs. 4 and 5 show power-wire F and lateral wire q withinsulating material removed and a section of power-wire and lateralwire; Fig. U, enlarged view of hinge or joint of carrierbar; Fig. 7,enlarged view of clamp. Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of thetransmitter. Fig. 9 is a plan of the transmitter. Fig. 10 is a sectionof the transmitter on the line a. Fig. 11 is a section of thetransmitter on line 5 (3. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of rubber seatand casing Z. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of journal-box '1.

In Fig. 1, A is an iron frame, which rests upon and is attached to theaxles of the cartruck inward from the wheels by boxes to a. I) b arearms extending down from frame A and united by a cross-bar, (notrepresented in this view, but represented and marked 0 in Fig. 3,) whichserves to support the can rier-bar B, and is thus placed in order toavoid the motor machinery, which is placed about the truck-axles. It isobvious that the construction of this frame may be varied to meet therequirements of differently-con- $erial No. 302,900. No model.)

stucted motors. The carrier-bar B is iron and in three sections, unitedby hinges or joints 6 c, which are so constructed as to permit the endsection to move vertically and laterally to accommodate the carrier tothe curves and grades of the track. (See Fig. 6.) The middle section isattached to the cross-bars c c, Fig. 3, by a box (Z d, which permits aslight sliding lateral motion to accommodate the carrier to the sidemotion of the trucks from any unequal distance of the rails from thecenter line of the track. The arms ff are attached to the middle sectionof the carrier-bar B and terminate in a clamp 9, (see Fig. 7,) to holdand carry the conducting-wire G. The arms f f are similar to f fin allrespects, except that they are attached to the end sections of thecarrierbar B by a bolt, which permits a slight backward and forwardmotion of the arm to prevent strain upon the conducting-wire whenpassing around curves. The guide -wheels 7L hare attached to the arms ff to keep the conducting-wire in constant proper relation to thetransmitter E. The guards 2' i are attached to the ends of thecarrier-bar B by a round belt, which permits a lateral mot-ion toaccommodate it to curves, but does not permit a backward or forwardmotion. It is slightly curved and grooved to receive theconducting-wire, and serves to protect the wire from injury. It alsoserves as a fixed point for the spring 7.1, which draws the arms f f"forward, holding the conducting-wire taut. The insulating material isremoved from the conducting-wire C. of zinc or other metal, soldered tothe conducting-wire C and covered with vulcanite or other insulatingmaterial, and are constructed with a bead at the upper edge to fit theclamp g, Fig. 7; The rod m m, with a sliding head n, passes through ahole in the carrier-bar B, serves to hold in place the spring 0, whichpresses down the carl'ienbar, and keeps the gnidewheels h in place onits track. p is a slot or opening into the conduit D, through which thearms fff f and guardsi '0' pass to carry the conducting-wire C along theconduit. The guide-wheel h runs upon the bars which form this slot, thusguiding the conducting-wire O and holding it'at the proper height toform a contact with the transmitter Z Z Z Z are plates,

' mitterE.

E. In the box G the power-wire F is placed for protection from moistureand other inj urious influences. Itis broken to show the power-wire Fwhere it is attached to the trans- The power-wire F is placed in anyconvenient position relative to the transmitter to permit the lateralwire g, which is attached to and is a part of the power-wire F, to enteran opening in the side of the case-box K (see Figs. 8, 9, and 10) toconnect with the transmitter, as shown in detail in Fig. 8. Thepower-wire F and the lateral wire 1 are 011- tirely covered andprotected by proper insulating material except at point of contact inthe transmitter, as shown in Fig. 8.

In plan view, Fig. 2, the carrier-frame is shown resting upon andattached to the truck-axles by boxes a a a a. c is the crossbarconnecting the arms 1), extending down from frame A, and supports thecarrier-bar 15, which is attached to c by the sliding box (1, permittinga slight lateral motion, as described above. The axle is broken to showthe cross-bar c beneath. e e are the hinges or joints of the carrier-barB.

n is the sliding head of the rod on, Fig. 3; f f, arms of carrier-bar,and h guide-wheel.

In Fig. 3, n is the sliding head to rod 111. It consists of an ironframe having three antifriction wheels 0 r r, is placed upon the endbars of the carrier-frameA, and has a lateral motion, carrying the rod mand spring 0, to keep them in position relative to the carrierbar B asit moves from side to side in curves of the track. The purpose of thisattachment as a wholeis to press the carrier-bar 13 down, so as to keepthe guide-wheel h in position on its track. E is the transmitter,suitably located or positioned to hav'e contact with the conducting-wireO. F is the insulated wire having a lateral wire-connection q with thetransmitter E.

In Fig. 8, II is a compound wheel composed of a copper wheel 5 and axleon one side 5', which isinsulatcd by rubber or other insulating material6 6 from the iron casings u 11, which are firmly riveted together, therivets also being insulated from the copper. This wheel is mounted in aniron frame I by means of sliding journal-boxes r n, resting on thespiral spring 10 U. The frame I is held in a casing-box K by groovedrecesses 50 in the side of the box. On a bench y on the side of theframe I is a rubber seat and casing .2, upon which rests the end of thelateral wire q. The end of the wire (1 is grooved to fit the copper axles, and the rubber seat and casing z surrounds the wire q and the axles',thu s entirely insulating them and protecting them from all externalobjects. L is a glass cap over the compound wheel H, to protect it andto form an insulating-guide to insure contact of the conducting-wire Cwith the copper wheel 5 of the transmitter. The glass top is bolted tothe top of the casingbox K.

The action of the transmitter is as follows: The conducting-wire C,passing over and pressing on the wheel II, forces the axle 8 down uponthe lateral wire (1, thus forming continuous electrical connection fromthe power-wire F through the lateral wire q, the copper axle s, thecopper wheel 5, and the conducting-wire C, to the motor on the car. Assoon as the pressure of the conductingwire C is removed, the spring 10to acting upon the sliding journal-boxes "r, raises the axle s from thelateral wire q, thus entirely breaking electrical connection between thepower-wire and external objects.

The usefulness of our invention consists of the use of a conductorentirely covered by and embedded in insulating water-proof material,whereby it may be placed under ground and thereby protected fromaccidental contact with persons and animals, whose lives might be thusendangered; also, whereby the loss of electric force may be preventedfrom leakage, or from water, ice, vapor, or other conductors coming incontact with it; also, by action of the transmitter a constant electriccurrent is carried to the motor, the wheel of the transmitter preventingfriction and sparking as the conducting-wire comes in contact with it.

\Vhat we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the transmitter E, the power-wire F, lateral wireq, covered and embedded in insulating water-proof material, the framecarried by the car-truck and having pendent arms connected bycross-bars, the carrier-bar formed of sections, having lateral andvertical. movement arms depending from said carrier-bar and havingclamps, and the conductor-wire, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the transmitter E, having the compound wheel H andrubber seat and casting z, and the wires F, q, and C, substantially asset forth.

The combination of the transmitter E, thepower-wire F, lateral wire q,the frame carried by the car-truck and having pendent arms connected bycross-bars, the carrier-bar formed of sections having lateral andvertical movement arms depending from said carrier-bar and havingclamps, wheels carried by the end ones of the lateral arms, springsconnecting said end arms to pendent guards of the carrier, andtheconductor-wire engaged by said clamps and having connection with thetransmitter, substantially as specified.

JOHN J. SAVILLE. JAMES H. \VINSPEAR.

Witnesses:

WILL. E. HURLBUT, l). W. GUNN.

